1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the controlling of common garden type crawling insects and, more particularly, to trapping and disposing of such insect pests. Specifically, an apparatus for trapping and collecting common earwigs is disclosed.
2. Description of the Related Art
Insects and general pest control problems are a nuisance for home and building owners. Costly property damage, unsightliness, and health problems can occur from uncontrolled infestations of insects. In North America, earwigs pose a particular problem due to their abundance, their nocturnal behavior, and their lack of natural predators. Although many chemical pesticides are available, the expense, as well as the personal and environmental dangers of using such means to control insect populations in and around residential areas is usually a concern for many individuals.
Several nonchemical methods of trapping or controlling insects, adaptable to earwigs, are known in the related art. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,450, issued in the name of Muramatsu, an insect trap is disclosed comprising a multifaceted, hollow chamber and a tubular inlet. A trap of this design as disclosed, however, is limited in size, application, and reusability.
Another example is particularly adapted for use with earwigs. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,157,866, issued in the name of Rosie, an earwig collector is disclosed which traps earwigs within a plurality of relatively dark and narrow passageways. Thriving on areas of high moisture content, earwigs seek areas such as moist cracks and crevices under boards, stones, plant debris and in shallow cavities in the ground. Although the Rosie disclosure also takes some advantage of the behaviors of these insects, as disclosed in Rosie the earwigs are collected while alive, and thereby need to be handled and ultimately disposed of as such.
Consequently, a need has been felt for providing an apparatus and method particularly adapted to trapping and killing earwigs in an inexpensive, chemical free, and reusable manner.